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Delta expands Comfort+ to regional flights

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Aligning with Delta’s focus on improving choice for customers and enhancing the on-board experience, the airline is now continuing to expand Delta Comfort+ on some of its regional aircraft, adding more Delta Comfort+ seats on its E-175, E-170, CRJ-900 and CRJ-700 aircraft. ( Mais...

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Rob Collins 5
What surprises me, as a large guy who flies a lot, is how everyone in the industry bangs on and on about an extra inch or two of legroom. I don't give a fig for extra legroom - I need extra widthroom! I weigh ±325lbs which, by today's standards, is certainly well overweight but nothing compared to many other customers of the world's airlines.

If a carrier can take out a row of seats and charge a premium for an extra 4" of legroom, why can't they take a 3-aisle-3or4-aisle-3 on a wide body, or a 3-aisle-3 configuration on an Airbus 320/321 or 737 and turn it into 3-aisle-2 with an extra 5" of width?

I guess many will reply "They do - its called Business Class" but that rather misses the point. As it happens I work for myself and will no longer fly longhaul in coach - but I have to pay a hefty premium when all I actually want is not pampering or free booze, just a safe and comfortable seat (and a loo that I can get in and out of, and turn around in as well, but that is another conversation...)

I get the technical stuff about trim - I have worked in the industry - but most coach seats I fly in are about 17" wide. To avoid squishing those sitting next to me I have to book an aisle seat and I am now an accredited expert at finding the release buttons to raise the floating seat arm (aisle side) to let me have an extra few inches of breathing room without inconveniencing my neighbour. If I was put in Row 1 of a narrow body or a regional jet it would be a health and safety hazard as, with the solid panels between these seats, I literally could not get down into the seat in between the arms and, more to the point, could not easily lift myself out again in the event of an emergency evacuation. I actually need a 22" seat to be comfortable - and one of my most regular routes has me flying business first in a 757-200 which offers exactly that.

I would be interested to discover whether many others think this is an issue, or whether it is my fault for weighing more than the "nominal" 75kg per adult (I am ± twice that) for which current coach seats are presently designed.
Mike Lazaro 4's not just you. I don't even have enough room at 5'2", 152. Spent half of a flight from MDW to ALB leaning forward because the 6-footers on either side of me fell asleep during parts of the trip with their arms partway into my middle seat, though at least when the kid on one side realized it, he tried to fold himself into his window seat. Kind of claustrophobic doing that in the back row of a Southwest 737, and frankly, was a factor in my just driving out the next time. Love flying, but the process *of* flying stinks.
strickerje 4
Exactly... I always paid for Economy Comfort (now Comfort Plus) when it was just priority boarding and more legroom (though, like you, I'd prefer more width over more pitch), but now I'm being priced out of it since they insist on throwing in more and more "service" that I don't need. I just want a domestic first class kind of seat with coach service for a reasonable upcharge (say, 25 to 30%, not twice as much).

Actually, Spirit has exactly that. If they could figure out how to get a flight out on time, I might try it.
Judy Guffey 3
Width...width...width. Anything over 5 hours ( and all but interisland flights where I Hawaii) are 5 hours or more.
I'm short. Wind up using my backpack asm a footrest. Nothing to alleviate the SQUUEZE of narrow seats.
Tom Pera 1
amen brother... flew every other week for 25 years... avoid flying like the plague now....
Pa Thomas 7
"We will now sell you what used to be normal service."
Dan Mitzel 3
I heard it best from a seat mate on DAL a few years ago... "Service in domestic First class is what coach used to be like 40-50 years ago."
m f 1
That was back when the government guaranteed profit and limited competition. I don't disagree, it just bothers me when this apples to oranges comparison comes up without context. That is all :)
Tom Pera 2
hate to say it.. but airlines need to be regulated again.... guaranteed profits... get away from all the greedy add-ons and sardine stuffed planes...
Mike Davis 4
With packed planes and record profits, they have finally crunched the public into paying for a price increase while advertising cheap seats for midgets. I avoid flying now at all costs. I don't have to stand in line for a full body cavity search when loading the car for vacation.
Judy Guffey 2
Living in Hawai'i... yes, I know...I live in Paradise by choice... but the only way out of the state is by a minimum 5 hour flight. No way to avoid flying.
MultiComm 3
CRJ200 -- Comfort Plus == LOL (it's called the first row bulkhead).
Mike Davis 0
Yes, some of it is, but on the 777's they actually have a section between business/1C and steerage that has regular seats but extra knee room spacing. It's just a devious way of getting higher fares from taller passengers. I think they should charge passengers by weight, not by height.
MultiComm 3
I don't deny that ... I was specifically referencing the CRJ200 only
A A 2
Does this improvement come with improved service and a more appropriate way to throw out passengers?
Mike Boote 3
Yes, actually - free booze. Cant argue with that!
Bernie20910 3
In Comfort+ when you're dragged down the aisle and removed from the plane one goon with a Dirt Devil cordless vacuum walks ahead of the ones dragging you and cleans the carpet.
Charles Young 1
Southwest will give large people an adjacent seat free if they ask for it when they book the flight. I guess that is cheaper than giving everyone a wider seat. Since Southwest has open seating, the flight crew puts a "reserved" card in the open seat.
even on the smaller regional jets,the name of the game is money and the number of passengers that can be accommodated..although its great marketing for delta to say they are expanding with more "delta comfort seats", I would be interested in reading consumer/passenger comments about this..we hear a lot about crammed flights on the larger aircraft,but not so much on the regionals,especially the newer aircraft..(the older jets had seats like cardboard and cement,and were so close you could feel the other person breathe!!
Dan Chiasson 0
Just more marketing spin that can be easily seen through. I contest that it is aimed more at the stockmarket / shareholders than the travelling public. With LCC's booming, mainline players like Delta have to squeeze as much revenue and profit from each flight. Same BS, just a different flavour. ;-{)
jeff boehme -1
Does not matter much to me, can't afford to fly Delta anymore. Just booked a trip on American for $1100.00 less than Delta.

